The future of fashion is slow and steady, not fast and cheap, a mantra that Ayesha Barenblat, founder of Remake, lives and breathes everyday.

It takes a garment worker 18 months to earn what a fashion brand CEO makes on their lunch break. It takes seventy-five million people to make our clothes, and of those people, 80 percent are women between the ages of 18 and 24. It’s believed that 100 pairs of human hands touch our garments before we ever see them in store or online. And if that’s not enough, it takes 2,720 liters of water to make a t-shirt, which is said to be how much we normally drink in three years. Three years!

Where did I get this information? From Remake, the revolutionary advocacy group on a mission to build a conscious consumer movement.

Remake’s founder, Ayesha Barenblat, believes that fast fashion is out, and slow fashion is in. With a focus on the millennial woman, her wish is to essentially remake the relationship between the women who make our clothes and the consumers who purchase them. By putting a face, a story, and a name to the ever-anonymous clothing manufacturing industry, Barenblat has been able to create a relatable, human connection that is normally obsolete.

Barenblat’s story is nothing short of eye-opening. From the beginning of a movement to the future of where it’s going, Remake is working tirelessly to put slow fashion permanently on the map.

“On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza fell down. I was working at Better Work, a partnership between the International Labor Organization and World Bank to improve working conditions inside the fashion industry at the time,” said Barenblat. “As the death toll mounted, and I saw firsthand retailers whose labels were inside Rana Plaza worrying about the legal precedent of compensating the victims families, I was moved to want change sooner and faster.”

 The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse she’s referring to occurred in an eight-story commercial building in Bangladesh due to a structural failure. And, according to Clean Clothes Campaign, it ultimately claimed the lives of 1,134 people, and is considered to be the worst industrial garment-factory accident in history.

“Having worked on the inside of the industry for a long time, I made the business case for retailers to invest in the lives of garment makers. When Rana Plaza fell down, it [became] clear to me that it would take a groundswell of consumer demand to truly move the needle,” says Barenblat.

The inspiration for Remake had been laid, what she needed next was “a people’s movement” that refuses to tolerate deaths, the atrocious human rights abuses, and the extreme environmental degradation in the quest for cheap clothes.  

Today, her vision has grown into something truly admirable. Remake is focused on contributing to the slow fashion movement and educating consumers in three ways, including creating stringent sustainability criteria that sets the tone as a call to action “for what good looks like.” The first of the three includes Remake’s long-term goal for slowing down fashion, which involves immersing millennial fashion designers into maker communities.

The second includes Remake’s grassroots efforts involving stories, films, social media campaigns, and pop-up events aimed at inspiring millennial shoppers to think more consciously.

The third and final element involves a curated capsule collection and brand spotlight that helps take the guesswork out of where to shop ethically. Determined to shatter the myth that slow fashion is neither fashionable nor affordable, Remake is changing the way consumers shop.

If sustainable and ethical fashion is important to you, or you’re just cluing in and want to learn more, Remake is an invaluable resource. Like Barenblat says, “We do all the hard work for you, making the discovery of beautiful, everlasting statement pieces easy. On the backend, we look hard for supply chains that are transparent [and] brands that are not simply greenwashing and running clever marketing.” Akin to the campaign Remake runs, Barenblat’s passion, compassion, and knowledge about the garment industry, and what it takes to make slow fashion mainstream, is as crystal clear as it comes.

A reality not to be taken lightly, Barenblat warns that buying more “is making us unhappy, exploiting women around the world, and degrading our planet at a pace so rapid that we are looking at hard choices by 2030, such as growing cotton or food, giving people access to clean water, or using water for fashion production.” 

“We have to go back to buying fewer, better things,” she says. “That five dollar impulse buy tee won’t make us happy, is filled with chemicals that touch our skin, and is entrapping a generation of women into poverty.”

Related on EcoSalon

Meet Cladwell: The Clutter-Cutting Capsule Wardrobe App
5 Cute Summer Barbecue-Ready Looks Under $100: Friday Finds
12 Ways to Disrupt the Fast Fashion Industry By Repurposing Old Textiles

The post Remake: Advocating for Slow Fashion and the Women Who Make It appeared first on EcoSalon.

When your wardrobe is feeling less than inspired, sometimes a powerful print is all you need to breathe life into a stale closet.

From contrasting florals and global geometric prints, to palm leaves and whimsical patterns, we’ve selected a variety of gorgeous prints to rotate into your wardrobe. Whether you’re an excellent pattern mixer, or you prefer to let the print stand alone, you’ll be able to achieve your style goals with each of these garments. Sustainable, stylish, and oh-so-summery, you’ll want to wear these looks all season long.

1. Contrasting Flower Mini

Arguably the best of both worlds, this mini dress is sexy and sweet. The perfect combo for a steamy date night, or any time of the day for that matter, you’ll be reaching for it again and again. Capture the essence of this “Beverly Hills 90210” throwback and channel your inner Kelly (or Donna, or Brenda) and team it up with a pair of combat boots and a jean jacket. Oh, and because this is a Reformation dress, you can feel good knowing it saved 16 pounds of carbon dioxide, 121 gallons of water, and 0.8 pounds of waste. Priced at $198.

2. Palm Wrap Skirt

Not only is this modal and cupro wrap skirt smoking hot, but the founder at Virtue + Vice also has a soft spot for slow fashion and eco-friendly fabrics. This particular skirt is said to be made from materials that are “sustainable, biodegradable, and cruelty-free unlike typically used rayon, polyester, and silk.” Pair this pretty palm print with a crop top, as shown, your favorite one piece, or a fitted tank. Easily dress it up or down with jewelry and heels, or a straw tote and flats. Priced at $200.

3. Colorful Kimono Jacket

Lightweight, loose, and luxurious, this kimono-style jacket is perfect for year-round wearing. Throw it on with a pair of trousers and ballet flats for work, or team it with a pair of coral shorts, a white tank, and lace-up flats for the weekend. This little viscose jacket is so versatile, you’ll be inspired by all the different ways it can be worn, but most of all, how awesome it will look with jeans. Priced at $148.

4. Emerald High-Waist Pant

Hello, gorgeous! These lush, rich pants from slow fashion curators Ace & Jig are perfect for wearing by the pool, sipping coffee at your local spot, dressed up for a night out, or while enjoying your favorite book on your very own sofa. In other words, these pants are hella versatile and look so damn comfy, you’ll be wearing them everywhere. Whether with a bikini top and flats, or a sheer blouse and heels, these will be your go-to summer bottoms. Priced at $296.

5. Strapless Crop Top

This bold orange crop top is perfect for summertime fun! Made by a women’s co-op in Malawi, you can rest assured that this affordable piece from Mayamiko is sustainable and ethically made. The company works with the women to choose exclusive fabrics that comprise just ten to fifteen pieces each. The business’s zero-waste production practices promise that every off-cut and unsold garment is upcycled into a new item. Pair this top with high-waist shorts or pants and a jute espadrille or tassel-adorned flat. Priced at $20.65.

Related on EcoSalon

7 Surprising Ways Clothing Affects Your Life (Not Just Your Look)
11 Must-Wear Spring Sandals That are Also Vegan
5 Looks Inspired by Sea Glass: Friday Finds

The post 5 Prints that Pack a Punch: Friday Finds appeared first on EcoSalon.

Slow down this holiday season and buy your gifts from fashion brands and designers that value sustainably sourced materials, local manufacturing and intelligent design. Our Slow Fashion Gift Guide is full of gorgeous attire and accessories that will become gifts that last a lifetime.

1. Melody Poncho by Use Unused

This beautiful poncho from Belgian brand Use Unused is made from surplus materials and hand knit in Belgium. Wear it over winter sweaters or dresses and top off your look with a chic hat.

$415

2. Clarion Tee by begood

If you’re looking for something simple, this tie-dyed tee from begood is the perfect choice. Made from 100 percent organic, the Clarion tee is a hand tie-dyed and assembled in Los Angeles, CA.

$35

3. Black Messenger Bag by Claire V.

Every girl loves a great bag, especially when its made from naturally dyed nubuck leather. All Claire V bags are designed and made in the USA from the highest quality, sustainably sourced materials.

$380

4. Ivonne Dress in Cobalt by Amour Vert

This is the perfect party dress for New Years and beyond, so wrap it up for your favorite little lady or best friend. The Ivonne Dress is sexy but elegant and made from top quality silk crepe in Los Angeles, CA.

$195

5. Chain Cuff in Gold by Phyllis + Rosie

What is the best accessory for a bright blue dress? Gold, of course! Not that this 14k gold filled, hand forged and hammered cuff with a 14k gold filled chain can only be worn with blue dresses, as its simple and elegant enough to wear with pretty much anything.

$85

6. Bramble Print Bikini Panties by PACT

Underwear is the perfect stocking stuffer, especially when its made out of 100 percent organic cotton and manufactured ethically. Choose from several prints and cuts on the PACT website!

$17

7. Pantalones by Nau

Lounge wear is always appreciated in the winter, especially during the holidays. A more flattering and elegant take on the harem pant, these pants are made from silky soft Modal fiber and ethically manufactured in the USA.

$70

8. Long  Sleeve Round Neck Pullover (100 percent Cashmere) by Winter & Bract

This gorgeous and incredibly soft cashmere sweater from Winter & Bract is a wonderful gift for either her or him that will last a lifetime. Winter & Bract sweaters are designed in WY and made in Scotland from the finest and purest fibers, supporting local mills and artisans.

$200

9. Denim Bramble Knee Sock by PACT

Another great stocking stuffer, socks by PACT are all ethically made from 100 percent organic cotton. Choose from various designs, colors and styles including crew socks, work socks and over the knee socks.

$12

10. Indigo Blue Espadrilles by Alice & Whittles

These are the perfect gift for a friend or family member taking off on a tropical holiday after Christmas. Made from hand selected canvas woven by artisan cooperatives in India and hand crafted by French shoemakers, these espadrilles are comfortable, sustainable and stylish!

$74

Related on EcoSalon

 We Can All Afford to Slow Down

Be Still My Beeping Crackberry: In Defense of Slow

Sole Food: Fairtrade Espadrilles by Alice & Whittles Support Sustainability

The post 10 Gorgeous Slow Fashion Gift Ideas to Last a Lifetime appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re new here, we’ve been on a road trip down the West Coast this summer with our sustainable clothing company, {r}evolution apparel. You can track our journey here!

Whew. What a journey.

Over eight weeks ago, we set out to learn more about sustainable fashion and what we could do to help push the movement forward.

We met professors, designers, farmers, CEO’s, and people on the streets. We filmed it all. And this is a tiny, small bit of what we learned from these amazing individuals.

This is just the beginning for {r}evolution apparel; as we learn, and share, and converse, we realize that our work is crucial. We are all connected. We all matter. Every decision we make – from which tank top we buy to how we recycle our clothes – makes a difference.

Now, we’re taking time to sort through our footage, process our experience, and ultimately, create a short documentary chronicling our summer’s journey. Until then, we’ve loved posting here at EcoSalon and hope to stay connected to this community. We’ll be saying “au revoir” with a short trailer by our filmmaker, Steve Celano – enjoy!

The post {r}evolution reel: The Interviews Trailer appeared first on EcoSalon.

The recently launched eco-conscious fashion line Océé is inspired by oceanic imagery. Each piece is made to order and 2% of the proceeds benefit Surfrider Foundation Europe.

Océane Buret connected with the ocean at an early age, while spending summers sailing with her family across France and Europe. Since then, she has spent time working in the fashion industry in Paris, New York, Auckland and Los Angeles. Chaz Gangster is an American artist whose work is inspired by the swirling colorful display of oceanic imagery. He has also worked on costumes and art featured in music videos by artists like MGMT, the Killers, and Chairlift.

The two met in New York City in 2009 and decided to start an eco-conscious fashion line together. This first collection by Océé features five prints of Gangster’s art on unisex T-shirts and tank tops made from organic cotton. The prints – named “Onde,” “Abysse,” “Anémone,” “Evume,” and “Méduse” – pay tribute to the priceless but fragile environment in our oceans. Fittingly, the collection was made in partnership with ocean conservation organization Surfrider Foundation Europe, to which Océé donates 2% of their profit.

One of Buret’s main goals, however, is to propose a new behavior towards fashion, develop an alternative to mass production and fast fashion and raise awareness about sustainable development among its customers. Each piece in the collection is a limited edition of a 1,000 and are made to order according to custumers’ selections, which involve print, size and shape. The only way to purchase an item is to pre-order it online via Océé’s website.

Buret hopes to expand the line to include swimwear, surfwear, accessories and even more custom items. In the meantime, we’ll just lose ourselves in these gorgeous prints.

The post Océé – Riding the Slow Fashion Wave appeared first on EcoSalon.

Will the plight of Lonesome George inspire you to be an Agent of Change?

The concept of slow food is worldwide and growing, but is the concept of slow fashion equally on the radars of today’s consumers?  There certainly seems to be a disconnect from ever growing fast fashion collections versus consumer sentiment for the environment and the harsh conditions for global garment workers. Perhaps this movement just needs a mascot. Slow food has the snail, and thanks to a mission driven apparel company based in the Galapagos Islands, now slow fashion has one too.

As the last surviving Pinta Tortoise from the Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George’s solitary plight is a cautionary tale of extinction unfolding as a result of human actions and mismanagement of scarce resources. Inspired by his story, company founder, Eduardo Balarezo, began Lonesome George & Co. to educate a new generation to try to prevent similar situations from happening at a time of dire and rising extinction rates.

Eduardo Balarezo with his company’s namesake.

“While many companies are choosing quick fixes to support social issues, we are focusing on the root of the problem and how we can prevent these issues from the ground up,” said Balarezo last week in San Francisco as he officially unveiled the Academy of Agents of Change, an experiential education built around Lonesome George & Co.’s proprietary Mind.Shift.Impact business model that invests 10% of every apparel sale and incorporates rigorous Outward Bound and Ashoka Youth Venture programs.

The Academy is specifically designed to turn Galapagos youth into social entrepreneurs by teaching them the hard-core skills necessary to have a meaningful social impact in their community. “We’ve found a unique way to create community impact that is sustainable, replicable and scalable and we encourage other companies to adopt our strategy.”

The tradition of developing countries utilizing the fashion industry to thrive is not new – In the history of the United States, firms producing ready‐made apparel, hats and shoes were responsible for the U.S. economy’s impressive growth starting as early as the 1800s – Balarezo’s hope is to create long-term sustainable impact as well. As speedy as the evolution of environmental change to his home in the fragile Galapogos may be, Lonesome George’s languid pace makes him the perfect mascot for a new spin on slow fashion.

The post Is Lonesome George Slow Fashion’s New Mascot? appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThe Awamaki Lab returns with a Season 2 collection featured at the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan.

Fashion designers Andria Crescioni and Courtney Cedarholm both knew from a young age that designing was integral to their composition. Each grew up with an individual attraction to the tactile and hands-on approach to creative expression. Cedarholm was always especially drawn to fabrics and yarn, and by third grade, had already proclaimed her desire to be a fashion designer.

Crescioni, on the other hand, lived out her early days in the suburbs of Southern California, spending her weekends reconstructing vintage finds from thrift stores and flea markets.

“The process of seeing something go from a vague idea in my head to a tangible piece drives me to continue creating things and exploring new ways of doing so,” says Crescioni.

With the collaborative effort of Awamaki, a non-profit weaving project that works for sustainable community development in Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Peru (and empowers young indigenous women), these two fashion students from Parsons were given an opportune design residency to explore their own garment genesis amidst the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Cedarholm and Crescioni were off on a journey into unfamiliar lands and unknown textile territory. That adventurous spirit subsequently permeated into the depths of their design inspiration.

“The clothing was inspired by the idea of a vintage explorer, especially Hiram Bingham,” says Cedarholm. When reviewing pictures of Hiram Bingham exploring in the 1900s, Crescioni was instantly taken by the garments featured. “I decided to juxtapose the Andean textiles with more casual and tailored sportswear, inspired by vintage explorers, to make them feel more unexpected and modern.” adds Crescioni.

In their own collaborative format, the designers decided to each embrace a particular angle for the collection; Crescioni developed the woven pieces, while Cedarholm concentrated on the knitwear.

“One of the main focuses of the collection is to showcase the traditional hand-woven textiles from the Patacancha Valley,” Crescioni explains. She was also intent on incorporating an element of hand-woven textile into every design, whether it be the entire pattern or an adorning trim.

For Cedarholm, her knitting became an extension of her everyday existence.

“I was quite a fan of carting my knitting everywhere, walking and knitting is my new favorite skill.” As Cedarholm explains it, creating the garment sample was necessary before any of the next steps in production could be tackled. So, for both designers, developing their patterns was key to moving forward in relaying their design framework to the Quechua women weavers for production.

Rooted intentions of showcasing the authentic artisanship of the weavers vibrates throughout Cedarholm and Crescioni’s garments. Cedarholm says: “We did not dictate designs to them [the women weavers] but instead observed them weaving and began to learn it to really understand how much goes into one textile and that turns into a great respect for the material and a true questioning of design to make sure the textile is showcased in its best form.”

The collection’s evolution unfolded atop a table of collaboration in genius and resourcefulness – designers and artisans learning and sharing with each other along the way. As Crescioni says, “This hands-on experience really gave us the opportunity to design pieces that compliment the way they [Quechua women weavers] work, rather than hinder it.”

The cultural exchange of working with the women weavers of Awamaki undeniably affected Crescioni and Cedarholm’s design process. “I think the limitation on materials in terms of diversity was the biggest challenge, yet at the same time helped narrow things down,” Cedarholm says.

As the saying goes, less is more sometimes. For Crescioni, this idea of reducing the options almost calmed her creative process. “When you are working in a city like New York, there are no limits, which can sometimes be overwhelming for me. In Peru, you are forced to simplify, to be creative with less, not only when it comes to making clothing but in day to day life.”

Crescioni’s own reaction to the differing lifestyles of these locations inadvertently comments on the consumptive culture of the U.S. Through the art of the Sacred Valley of Peru’s local culture, themes of simplicity and necessity simply surface. Design in this context could potentially symbolize larger lessons and reflections of the societies in which they are harbored.

Experiences from the Awamaki Lab relationship fosters rewards that extend far beyond an exchange of creative innovations. For Crescioni, one of the most rewarding parts of the project is the direct relationship that one gets to have with the weavers at Patacancha.

Cedarholm reflects on her time spent working closely with the women.

“Beginning to know them more has given me such a curiosity and respect for those who are behind the actual making of a garment. And in thinking about who made a garment you also think of who designed it. They are usually on the higher end of the food chain, but this collection attempts to disregard any mention of food chain.”

For her, the intention of the Awamaki Lab Season 2 collection was to just work together to create something fresh and new.

Due to the way Crescioni and Cedarholm approached their adventure abroad, they were able to absorb authentic and intimate connections. Their openness allowed for true dialogue outside of the daily design activities, such as time spent in the homes of the Quechua families, learning their crafts and sharing meals with them. Crescioni reminisces about one weekend in November when a weaver in Patacancha taught them her age-old methods. “It was an intimate experience, walking through the surrounding hillside with her and her children while their sheep grazed. As we walked, we would take a seat, set up our back-strap looms and weave, enjoy the view, and chat. It was an incredible example of life and craft coinciding together.”

For Cedarholm, the garments largely represent that comfortable, content, and serene atmosphere. “We want the clothing to feel like home, you can just climb into them and live.”

Meditating on the process, Crescioni says, “I have a deep respect for the artisans that create the textiles and I hope the garments we’ve created allow the weavers’ unique vision of life to be appreciated in a new context.”

The Awamaki Lab Season 2 Collection will be unveiled in its entirety on Friday, January 27th at the Textile Art Center‘s Manhattan location. Featured alongside the garments will be a backpack collection; Brooklyn-based pattern maker Hannah Flor volunteered with the Awamaki Lab this season, developing a project with the sewing co-op in which each weaver designed their own backpack.

The post THREADED: The Awamaki Lab Places Peruvian Handwoven Textiles Front & Center appeared first on EcoSalon.

Stockholm’s Royal Vintage exhibit gives us an inside look at Swedish Royalty.

Most girls dream of someday getting to play dress-up inside the closet of a real-life princess. Perhaps getting to peek into it would be a close second, and that’s exactly what a show at the Royal Armory in Stockholm lets us do. Entitled Royal Vintage, it’s a showcase of dresses worn by the women of the Swedish royal family, from the early 1900s up until today, with a main focus on the 50s and 60s. Over 70 couture pieces are featured in the exhibit, all displayed according to color. Most of them come from the gilded closets of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s mother, Princess Sibylla (who would have been queen had the current king’s father not died in a plane crash in 1947, before the crown was passed on to him), and sister, Princess Margareta, Mrs. Ambler.

The dresses are all hand-made, mostly locally in Stockholm by prominent tailoring schools. One of the most respected ones was the Märtha School, named after sewing enthusiast Princess Märtha. Like most tailoring schools at the time, it included a French department with models often sewn from original Parisian patterns. The school founder, Countess Margareta von Schwerin, considered that French fashion led to more economical consumption as the garment lasted for at least three years.

At this time, slow fashion was the only kind of fashion, accessible merely to the privileged elite. Hooks, buttons and closures were all made by hand, although as the times progress, zippers start making appearances. The curators of the exhibit has made durability and eco-conscious thinking a main focus of the show. It’s hard not to ponder the fact that these dresses all look as good as new even though some of them are going on 100 years old. One factor may be that they probably weren’t worn that many times, but it’s clear that a well-made garment does last.

For those interested in seeing more garments from the wardrobes of Swedish royals, it would be worth your time to check out the rest of the armory. Stand-out garments include garb that two kings wore when they were killed, complete with blood-stains that tell the eerie tale, and even a stuffed horse named Streiff, upon which King Gustavus Adophus rode when he met his demise on a Polish battle field in 1632.

Besides an amazing red coat (very 70s-style, which was right, except it was from the 1870s), and the fact that the people seem to have been very short (yes, it seems Swedes were short once upon a time) a few hundred years ago, what I am most enthralled by is the clothing from the early parts of the 1900s, when King Gustav V brought lawn tennis and the whole romantic, English-influenced style that went along with that to these Northern parts of Europe. King Gustav was quite the sharp dresser — he always wore hats, often vests and driving gloves (a garment for each occasion), had enormous feet and, rumor has it, tended to fancy the gents over the ladies. I got to try on one of his hats (or, more likely, a replica), which is about as close to actually playing dress-up in a royal closet as I got.

Here’s some photos I took from the exhibit:

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• »

• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

The post Royal Vintage Exhibit An Inside Look At Swedish Royalty appeared first on EcoSalon.

Green is a complex issue as illustrated in this new textile exhibition in Washington, D.C.

There is no doubt that new directions in fiber and textile art are influencing the recent crafting and handwork surge in contemporary fashion. Makers are always swapping ideas between the realms of art and design, so it is inevitable that a collective unconscious of sorts permeates shifting style and color trends. The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. is on to this creative phenomenon with their latest exhibition, Green: The Color and the Cause, on view through September 11, 2011. This call-to-artists showcase features a diverse spectrum of wall pieces, sculpture, and site-specific projects — all celebrating the role of green as an influencer of rising eco-consciousness as well as a hue that is evocative of change.

Green: The Color and the Cause has unified artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines in conjunction with thirteen textile examples of historical precedents from the museum’s own extensive collection. To assemble the group of artists represented, The Textile Museum issued a call for entry to contemporary fiber artists across the country and around the globe. Exhibition co-curators Rebecca A.T. Stevens and Lee Talbot reviewed more than 1,000 works of art submitted by nearly 300 artists. From this group, the co- curators selected 32 contemporary artists—representing 18 U.S. states and 6 countries—to participate in the exhibition.

A Woman of Substance basket coiled from discarded silk blouses by Jackie Abrams (photo: Liz LaVorgna)

Materials and methods featured include the innovative recycling of household textiles and threads, sewing and embroidery, cast papermaking, green typography, as well as a lace vegetation arbor. Several of the show’s pieces reference craft and women’s work as an indicator that the resourceful use of fabric and cloth bits has always been a natural expression of green as an eco-friendly studio methodology. As an environmental fiber artist, I would never make the claim that women are crafters first and environmentalists second just because they opt to pick up a needle to get the job done. What I do know, is that crafting a green vision is a total process and something that flows between the head and the hands with some serious input from the heart.

Hand-sewn and hand-embroidered ‘Swing Coat’ by Alabama Chanin

Some of my favorite artists and crafters are featured in this exhibit, and one of the most intriguing observations made by designer Natalie Chanin is the irony that true green dye is not any easy thing to produce naturally. “Despite the prevalence of green in nature, no single plant produces a color-fast, deep green dye. Until the invention of synthetic dyes in the nineteenth century, people around the world typically combined indigo blue with various yellow dyes to create green textiles.”

Chanin’s contribution to the show is a show stopping cotton jersey ‘Swing Coat’ hand-sewn and hand-embroidered by her team at Alabama Chanin. As the exhibition’s curators highlighted: “Incorporating organic and repurposed materials, Alabama Chanin garments are hand-sewn using traditional quilting and stitching techniques by women who live and work near Florence, Alabama. These women, ranging in age from their 20’s to their 70’s, work together in circles reminiscent of quilting bees to create socially and environmentally responsible fashions.”

Treatment?, 2009, hand-painted silk quilt by Linda Gass

The subversive quilting spirit is alive and well in Green: The Color and the Cause, as illustrated by the work of Linda Gass. Her quilted reproduction of an aerial photograph of a water treatment plant on the San Francisco Bay, calls our attention to “the engineering wonders that have made contemporary lifestyles possible, but also questions the wisdom of our long-term strategies for sustainable development.”

Estuary: Moods and Modes, 2007, Nancy Cohen (photo: Ed Fausty)

Nancy Cohen’s handmade abaca paper sculpture of the ecosystem of coastal New Jersey emulates the ebb and flow of the artist’s study of the New Jersey Pine Barrens ecosystem—a million-acre tract of largely undeveloped land in the nation’s most densely populated state. Her wild topographical melding of marsh grasses and cast paper is perhaps a more revealing way of conducting an environmental impact study while also creating allure with undulating folds.

Arbor Lace, 2002-2011, live vegetation installation by Michele Brody

One of my personal favorites is artist friend Michele Brody’s Arbor Lace (2002-2011) project, an outdoor installation assembled out of synthetic lace, grass seeds, copper pipe and water. Brody has been working with live vegetation in sculpture before green design or eco art became trendy, and her site-specific projects create structures, which she calls “passageways,” for both rural and urban dwellers. The grass seed planted in the arbor will sprout, grow, and die in approximately six weeks time. New seed will then be planted and the cycle will begin anew. You can watch the seeds grow over time at the following link. Brody’s work is the perfect metaphor for understanding the life cycle of textiles and the precious resources required to sustain life and beauty as we desire it.

Gyöngy Laky’s ALTERATIONS,  featured on the cover of the New York Times magazine in spring 2008

There is so much visual fodder in Green: The Color and the Cause that the exhibition is obviously something to be experienced more than described. As a participant, celebrated artist Gyöngy Laky humbly shared, “I am interested in making a small dent in changing attitudes about the environment and our relationship to it.”

Detail of Gyöngy Laky’s sculptural typography work

Green as a color and marketing phenomenon is increasingly a part of our daily lives, but for me, the transformative aspect of this hue is the fact that it’s deep range urges us to see green in those things that also lie at the other end of the spectrum. Craft, innovation, and renewal is often about taking something seemingly mundane and transforming it into something life supporting and wildly complex. No formula exists and no pattern need be duplicated.

Green: the Color and the Cause is co-curated by Lee Talbot, Associate Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Collections, and Rebecca A.T. Stevens, Consulting Curator, Contemporary Textiles. The exhibition will be on view at The Textile Museum April 16 through September 11, 2011.

image: “Hothouse Flowers” by Maggy Rozycki Hiltner via The Textile Museum

The post Green: The Color and the Cause Exhibits At The Textile Museum in D.C. appeared first on EcoSalon.

SeriesPart 3: The fashion industry is emerging from its cocoon post-recession, a changed sector where consumers are more cautious, manufacturers are on their toes and designers are struggling to stay afloat doing business as usual. In this five-part series, we take a hard look at the fashion world, speaking with industry leaders, luminaries and experts. This week we ask: Now more than ever, is eco-fashion inextricably linked to conscious connections with land and place?

We might attribute eco-fashion to ’60s youths, with their natural approach to style, but the official terminology came much later. The term “eco-fashion” came into the mainstream in the late ’90s, and 2005 was perhaps the most significant year. EcoSalon’s Louise Lagosi writes, “In 2005, it became a marketing tool which is why we suddenly knew about it. Capitalists needed to bank on a trend and this was something they couldn’t ignore. It became the tipping point for eco-fashion.”

While eco-fashion most certainly did become a focal point for all industry sectors circa 2005, if we take a look at why it has stuck, we might be surprised.

Textile Arts Center knitting group

A Consciousness We May Not Be Conscious Of

Owyn Ruck, General Manager of the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, says our green awareness has gone beyond being just “eco-friendly” to a deeper understanding of how things are made.

“Understanding not only reminds you of the impact of an object on the environment, but also allows for the true appreciation of the object. Things from our past are easily represented through physical objects, and by understanding more about the making, we pay more respect to our past – and thus ourselves and current environment,” says Ruck.

Permacouture Institute batch dyeing

Pioneering women have entered the sustainable scene, with many dropping the “eco” terminology altogether, introducing heritage craft with natural textiles and dyeing to further promote this awareness. These designers and entrepreneurs have taken our appreciation of what is eco to a new level, where natural materials are not only being used, but are being designed to biodegrade to leave virtually no footprint at all. But there’s something deeper yet at work – something bordering on the primitive.

Ruck says the growing desire to go past the surface of the eco label is a weighty subject.

“What does this even mean to the average person, who may know nothing about the production of the product? The more prevalent these words become, the more people want to understand them. People are not stupid,” says Ruck. “They want to understand what this movement is about, what do these words mean, why the large price tag on designers using natural and sustainable methods? Maybe it’s not to the point yet where the H&M’s of the world using such terms are ignored, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

She adds that education is key, as well as knowing the person or the story behind the brand.

A New Seasonality

Adie + George

Sasha Duerr, Founder and Co-Director of the Permacouture Institute in San Francisco, author of The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes and co-designer for Adie+George, is one of those pioneering women willing to educate and create in concert. Duerr says creating her line has been an experiment and a labor of love fusing natural textiles with a desire to test out a new seasonality.

Having just completed a full collection of Northern California artisan spun (fair trade), local and seasonal naturally-dyed knits, Adie + George hopes to broaden the topic of biodiversity for color, while also looking at connections to the physical source of materials. Duerr says she hopes her collection will ultimately finish in the compost pile after a very long and well-loved life to create more food, color and fiber for future fashion.

Adie + George co-designer, Permacouture Institute co-founder and author Sasha Duerr

She also asks us to consider something we’re not used to when it comes to fashion: seasonal colors based on what’s in season, as we do with food. Though she says it takes more care, thought, and common sense to understand the benefit of why we should use natural dyes, following what makes the most sense for nature is not always perfect, and it is not always commercial.

“Fashion seasonality in the industry is so far out of sync with actual seasons, that it is difficult to sync your samples to your production process with batch dyeing. So we choose some plant dyes that are always readily available in the urban environment (example: avocado pits). This created the mauves, grays, and pinks in our collection. For the other color [yellow], we derived a system to use two weed dye plants that bookend each other in wet and dry season so that we know if one is not available the other will be,” says Duerr.

Permacouture Institute

Can there be four seasons in fashion when designers are creating this way?

“I think there can absolutely be four local seasons of fashion in sync with what makes the most sense for nature and culture,” she says. “Refining the process is ongoing and creating a healthy and thriving life for ourselves as designers and human beings, also means saying ‘no’ to the insanity of how the industry currently functions on the expectations of  ‘fast fashion’ seasonality. Time after time, appreciating more with less is usually the most satisfying.”

Primitive Permaculture

Another design duo working closely with nature is designer John Patrick of John Patrick Organic, in collaboration with knitwear designer Amanda Henderson, for the A/W 2011 season. To document the story of the collection, Patrick collected video footage and provided visuals of his supply chain onto a Sourcemap to document the garments from fiber collection through manufacturing and production local to the Eastern United States. See the inspiring video here about the people behind his collection.

John Patrick Organic and Amanda Henderson’s A/W ’11 collection

The supply chain began with wool fibers sourced in upstate New York at Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Company. After the wool was sorted and washed, it traveled to either a mill in Canton, Massachusetts, or directly to Queens, New York to be knit into hand crafted sweaters by Henderson. The fabric used in the collection was created at Draper Knitting in Massachusetts, then cut and sewn in NYC’s historic garment district and finally previewed and exhibited at New York Fashion Week in February 2011.

I asked Henderson if she thinks designers need to have a better connection to where they’re getting their materials. She believes it’s “a fundamental connection that greatly inspires the end result,” and adds that elements of story-telling and honor in fashion has been lost to the past and that perhaps we need to have more of it when considering clothing.

A John Patrick Organic knitting mill for the A/W ’11 knitwear collection

“Native Americans would worship the animals that brought to them necessities for survival. They adorned simple garments beautifully and meticulously in order to honor that animal and what was provided to that individual person and what it meant to them,” says Henderson. “That is the element of fashion I wish to resurrect, which is why this project with Organic meant so much to me. Why I felt that establishing a connection with my materials, and the story of those wools, was so important to both John and me.”

But with a hungry society enamored with fast fashion’s quick catering to trends and bargain basement pricing strategy, can this story really matter to the consumer? Do we as a society have the patience to hear it?

“Now is a perfect time for the consumer to cease spending on numerous new garments with short-lived spans, especially from designers who consider price over both human and clothing quality of life. Rather, to invest in few, very selective pieces, with great meaning to that person, at a higher material quality and technique level. Timeless clothing with hand-made history, and primal human meaning. After all, clothing has been around since the early beginnings of human existence, and can inspire a modern person to consider their roots. That ancestral element, to be passed through the generations,” says Henderson.

Fashioning Self In Relation To Environment

Abigail Doan, fashion writer for EcoSalon, textile artist and founder of Ecco Eco, says that while she is an “eternal optimist” regarding consumer’s connections to clothing, she isn’t so sure that we are closer to being significantly connected to what we wear as a result of a raised fashion consciousness.

Doan says cost and overall availability are things that still influence which items consumers select and incorporate into their wardrobes. Someone living a few hours from a major city is likely to either shop at a local mall, a local main street retailer, or hunt for bargains online when trying to locate new fashion acquisitions.

“This is why I feel that ‘conscious fashion’ also needs to incorporate ideas about fashioning self in relation to the environment as a complete approach to how clothes shopping relates to one’s ethical and environmental views,” says Doan. “Being connected to nature via our clothes must first come from an awareness that is generated by the individual in response to how to create or style an identity that reflects one’s awareness about conservation, materials, and craft.”

Doan, who grew up in a household where hand spinning and sheep shearing were regular activities, goes on to say, “From this platform one can build a wardrobe that reflects a connectedness that is meaningful and perhaps even sustainable.”

Abigail Doan photos

Designers will always have to make money and consumers will always want something new, but the psychology of fashion is changing.

Duerr-Fossel says it will all come down to our individual lifestyles – that this consciousness extends beyond fashion to many areas including food, transportation and even the way we love one another.

“It is an overall choice to do things that help the environment, in many aspects of your life, and when you start with one, it’s easier to keep going. Which we can see with this idea of homesteading very clearly. I think all these changes and movements feed off one another in a nice way that keeps our society changing to something more positive,” Duerr says.

Our hearts are set on it.

Image: sydigill, b3d, Dan Zen

The post The Post-Recession Fashion Industry: A Return to Nature appeared first on EcoSalon.